Chemistry
by AngstAddicted
Summary: Highschool AU (17's human name, Lapis, is used). Lapis asks for tutoring lessons from his crush. Will his feelings be reciprocated? Tune in next time on "Sad gay writes fanfiction instead of studying."
1. Chapter 1

Trunks didn't know why he agreed to this. Lapis was currently in his room, shifting through his CD case.

 _"How did this happen again? Oh yeah, I stupidly agreed to tutor Lapis. What was I thinking?"_

* * *

It was at the end their shared chemistry class when Lapis came up to him. As the other students began leaving, Trunks felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He was surprised to find Lapis looking at him. He had a sheepish look on his face and was twirling a strand of hair with his other hand. Trunks glanced at his deft fingers.

"Hey Trunks? I need to talk to you."

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "I'm not falling for another one of your pranks, Lapis."

Lapis gave him a small laugh and pulled the hair strands behind his right ear. He was wearing red studs today. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna pester you. I just- Well I was wondering if you could help me out."

Trunks doubted that Lapis wasn't up to something. It was unusual for Lapis and Trunks to be congenial with each other. Everyone in the school saw them as enemies just because their parents were the best scientists in the world, so there was an unspoken rivalry between them ever since the beginning of high school. Lapis would jeer at him and Trunks would send him glares. That was their weekly ritual. Maybe Lapis was feeling bored and cooked up a new scheme for today.

Trunks scoffed. "That's surprising. Are you actually admitting to being bad at something, Lapis?"

Lapis rolled his eyes. "Listen, I'm trying to call a truce here. Besides, everyone is gone, so you can stop pretending to hate me."

Trunks' eyes widened. "What? But I thought… we hated each other equally?"

They stared at each other with confused looks for a moment before Lapis cut the silence with a chuckle.

"Come on Trunks, we never had a real reason to hate each other and you know it. This dumb rivalry schtick is just an act."

Trunks gaped at him. _"I mean, I wasn't really acting. I kind of just projected my disgust of Gero onto Lapis and assumed he was a bad person, too. But If I had been wrong… then Lapis is right. This is dumb."_

"O-okay? I guess we can call a truce. But what is it that you wanted, anyway?"

Lapis smiled at his compliance. "Well, it's no secret that you're the smartest guy in class- and if I don't raise my own grades up I'm dead so, I was wondering…" Lapis crossed his arms and a bashful look crossed his face. "Um, do you think you could tutor me? I promise I'll make it up to you."

It took a while for Trunks to process what he said, especially when he noticed how Lapis' cheeks seemed flushed today.

He shook his head and snapped out of it. "Wait a second. You want me to tutor you? I've never really done that before. And don't you hate, um, learning in general?"

"Hey now. I'm not asking you to make into some genius. I was thinking we could just work on stuff together and you can tell me when I mess up. Plus, in the meantime, we can decide if we hate each other for real." Lapis gave him a sheepish grin. "Wouldn't it be funny if it turned out we could be friends?"

"I guess you have a point," agreed Trunks.

He rubbed his chin in thought. _"I didn't know Lapis could be so sincere. If this is a ruse, it would probably be his cruelest joke yet. Gaining my trust so I'd let my guard down for something diabolical."_ His eyes trailed off as he listed the worst outcomes of getting close to Lapis. _"Upside is, Lapis turns out to be a decent guy. Is it worth it?"_

He gazed back at Lapis. He _looked_ nervous, like he cared about how this would turn out. Lapis always looked confident and cheeky. If he was acting, he would get a trophy for an honest performance. Trunks _did_ have it in him to say no and not feel guilty, but the potential of not keeping eyes on the back of his head daily would be nice.

Trunks sighed in defeat. "I guess I would be a good influence on you, huh? Ok," he shrugged, "I give in. What times do you want me to help you?"

Seeing the passing looks of shock and relief on Lapis, Trunks couldn't help but smile.

* * *

So, here they were, in Trunks' room on a Friday afternoon. Lapis arrived in his own car as to be "sneaky" about their session. Trunks' mother, Bulma, was surprised to see him but welcoming nonetheless. She brought them tea and said she was happy to see Trunks being such a good classmate. He felt embarrassed and quickly excused themselves to his room. Now he wishes they had chosen literally any other room. Lapis had no problem touching all his things before he sat on his bed with a haul of comics.

Lapis flipped through them, amused. "You actually read these? Should've taken you for a closet geek."

Trunks pinched his brow. "Yeah, when I was a kid. Hey why couldn't we meet at your house again?"

Lapis groaned in response. " _Because,_ if my warden saw us together I'd be toast. He hates your family's guts and would toss you out in a heartbeat, and as much as I'd like to piss him off, I need your smarts to get me through this sucky class."

"Chemistry isn't- it doesn't suck _that_ bad." Trunks thought about what he said. "But… Hey, why did you call your dad a warden?"

Lapis stopped flipping pages and stared at page with a frown. "He's not my dad. My sister and I were adopted." He sighed and tossed the comic beside him. "We should start on the homework."

While Trunks was relieved that Lapis became focused, he still felt curious about his situation at home. Dr. Gero wasn't the most ethical scientist, and likely not the best father, either.

Lapis glanced at him nervously. "Don't worry about it, at least my adopted mom is nice. Though I can't bring my own friends over without them hitting on her."

Trunks remembered seeing her once. She looked younger than Gero, although still tall and mature. He recalled how she had helped herself to a lot of desert at that awards ceremony while his mother sighed and lamented over her impossible figure with such a diet.

"She does seem nice. My mom can be a little jealous of her, but I know she admires her work."

Lapis sighed. "No more parent talk." He grabbed a pencil and notebook from his backpack and pushed himself against the bedframe. "What page are we supposed to read, anyway?"

"Please, help yourself to my bed why don't you." Trunks grabbed the textbook on his desk. "At least take your shoes off first, jeez."

While Trunks gave him a boring speech over elements, Lapis wondered how there always seemed to be at least two strands of hair in his face at any moment. He had never spent this long being so close to Trunks, either. Whenever he was caught staring at school, he would focus on those deep blue eyes and make a crude comment or gesture. Anytime he got up in his face- it was always after gym- he'd get a waft of his fresh shampoo and remaining sweat. It'd be hard to concentrate on teasing him that close, so he'd make short mocks while holding onto his eyes like an anchor.

 _"Does he actually like this stuff? He's such a dork."_ Lapis smiled and watched Trunks twirl his pen. His eyes trailed to his callous hand and to his biceps flexing with every movement. Lapis bit his lip. _"GOD Such a fucking… god damn dork."_

He couldn't believe Trunks agreed to this, although this whole scheme had been his sister's idea. Her ideas were usually better than his, after all. She knew Lapis needed help in class, and she was tired of his bullshit charade, so what better way to mend grades and hearts than this.

 _"Lazuli, when I get home I am going to give you like... half my weed. At the most."_

"Lapis?"

Lapis shot up and realized he had lowered his eyes. "Oh sorry, I started to doze off. How can you get any of this?"

Trunks sighed. "So you didn't hear anything I said? Look, you don't have to memorize all the names, just the properties, okay?"

Lapis nodded. "Right, only there's like, fifty elements."

"A hundred and eighteen."

"What the fuck?"

"Only ninety-four of them occur on Earth, though. So we only have to know those."

Lapis shook his head. "Did your mom put a chart over your crib when you were a baby? You're literally the only person in class who gets this."

"Probably. To be honest, I'm not that great at every subject. I guess I just picked things up growing around scientists and professors."

"Maybe I was adopted too late, then, because this is like a whole other language to me."

"Huh. If it's that bad, then you really do need my help." Trunks smirked at him. "You're pretty smart, though. You realized it would be better to suck up to me than be a pest."

Lapis laughed, "Hey, let's get one thing straight, I don't suck up to anyone."

If his sister were here, she'd no doubt contradict him with an annoying remark. _"'More like, there's only one thing you'd consider sucking…' Or say, 'you're not,' after hearing the word 'straight.' Damn it. She's hilarious."_

Trunks chuckled at him, "Okay, okay." He inched closer and gestured at the page. If Lapis were to bend down just a little their foreheads would be touching. "Here, you can look my side notes to get the gist of the chapter and when you're done we can go over the whole thing."

Lapis nodded. "K…" His gaze paused on Trunks' face before falling to the page in front of him. He was thankful that Trunks pulled away to grab his tea. Since he wasn't teasing him he was able to see his features up close for once. Seeing those lips head on was way too tempting. Lapis pulled the book onto his lap as he felt warmth envelop him.

He just _had_ to fall hopelessly in love with his designated rival. Lapis would have loved to have someone to pick on up till graduation. If only they weren't the most goddamn attractive person in the entire school.

* * *

As Lapis read through the notes, Trunks stared at his tea.

 _"Earlier… wasn't Lapis looking at me kinda…?"_ He peeked over at him. Lapis had a soft redness in his cheeks _. "I'm sure it's nothing…"_

Trunks searched through his memories and realized that Lapis has never really dated anyone. Only flirted and lead girls on, including girls Trunks would be dating at the time. Lapis would always give them the cold shoulder once they started asking more of him. Trunks thought it was his way off saying that he was better than him. That he could have anyone he wanted. But then, why not date any of them?

Trunks glimpsed at Lapis' hair falling over his face. _"Why do I care who he's dating anyways?"_

* * *

When they finished their assignment, Lapis jumped off Trunks' bed and head over to his videogame collection.

"Now that we're done with that, next teamwork exercise is Mario Kart." Lapis turned and waved the infamous game in his hands.

Trunks stretched and sighed. "Of course. I knew you were after Mario Kart all along."

Lapis smiled in the not-innocent innocent way possible. "I can't help wanting to be better than you at _something._ "

Trunks laughed. "There's that evil I've been waiting for."

When he set up the game they moved to the couch and rekindled their rivalry through gaming. Trunks raced mostly as Link while Lapis switched constantly between Waluigi and Luigi. Their races became so intense that their shoulders bumped constantly on the turns. Whenever Lapis' winning streak was broken he switched to King Boo.

"Why King Boo?" asked Trunks.

Lapis turned to face him and with a straight look said, "Psychological warfare."

"Huh?"

"The enemy is too distracted by his ahego face to focus on the road."

"WHAT?!"

Trunks collapsed to the ground and realized he couldn't breathe because he was laughing too hard. Lapis clutched his stomach and was suffering as well.

"Wha-what the hell? Gross!"

"Come on, there's rule 34 of him and you know it."

"What! How do you know what that is?"

"How do you?"

The two laughed helplessly until a knock was heard at the door. When it opened they saw Trunks' mother beaming at them.

She giggled when she spotted Trunks on the ground. "Having fun in here you two?"

Trunks calmed himself down and sat up. They _were_ having fun, weren't they? Who would've thought.

"Yeah, did you need something, mom?"

"Well, I just wondering if Lapis would be joining us for dinner?"

Lapis looked up. "Dinner? I don't know… is it really ok?"

Bulma placed her hands on her hips. "Well _of course!_ What kind of hosts would we be if we didn't keep our guest's needs full? And you're so thin- I insist! A boy your age needs to be well fed."

Lapis shifted into a look of awkwardness. Trunks glimpsed between them and said, "Come on mom, he looks fine to me. I mean, physically…"

Lapis averted his gaze and fiddled with his shirt hemming. "I guess I could eat."

Bulma clapped her hands. "Great! Dinner will-"

"Actually," Trunks interjected, "I was thinking we could just order a pizza?"

"Oh? I see how it is. I guess it would be awkward to have dinner with your mother on the first date, right?"

Trunks suddenly felt extremely hot. "WHA- Huh?" He stood up. "WE- we aren't..." He shot at glance at Lapis, who suddenly turned red. Trunks imagined he looked the same.

Bulma chuckled and turned around to leave. She sent them a wink a said, "I'm just kidding you two! Jeez, boys are so sensitive!"

When the door shut, Trunks and Lapis fell into silence. Trunks scratched the back of his head and glanced at him sheepishly.

"So um… do you like pizza?"

Lapis smiled nervously. "Do I look like a moron? Of course- who doesn't like pizza?"

Trunks smiled back and reached for his phone. Thank goodness Lapis was still annoying.

* * *

When the pizza arrived, the two got comfortable on the couch as a movie played on the tv. Lapis tried to focus on the screen instead of his foot resting against Trunks' leg. He wondered how he'd react if he lifted his lower legs and rested across his lap. And then his forelegs- _"Nope that would just be sitting in his lap."_ Lapis couldn't help himself. The time he saw Trunks he was in denial of his feelings for a whole semester. Then he saw Trunks' bare chest in the locker room and has been fantasizing ever since. _"Why the hell did his muscles have to be so chiseled and glistening from sweat god dam it?!"_

Lapis' eyes trailed down Trunks' arms again but then noticed his watch. Suddenly, he exclaimed and jumped off the couch. "Shit! It's that late already?"

Trunks looked at the time. "Oh yeah, wow. Good morning, I guess."

Lapis grabbed his things and shoved them into his bag. "I don't really care for curfews, but no one really knows I came over. Maybe I should just skip town and change my name."

Trunks got up. "Hey that's a bit too drastic." He shuffled over and helped Lapis pack. "If your life is ever in danger, you could just hide here."

Lapis laughed sarcastically. "Does that mean you trust me now?"

Trunks smiled hopefully. "I guess. I, um, I had fun spending time with you. And we aren't exactly acquaintances, so I guess that makes us… friends?"

"Disgusting. The very word."

They shared a laugh and Lapis felt lighter, like he was made of air. Trunks handed him his pencil and their fingers lingered when they touched.

Lapis looked away and zipped up his bag. "So, do you wanna shock the school by walking in on Monday with our arms linked like best friends?"

"Ha! That would break the internet. Maybe we could make it subtler."

"Good, so I can still flip you the bird in the halls?"

"I can't picture it any other way."

 _A/N_

/This was meant to be a one-shot but it looks like I might have to add a bit more chapters. I'm usually bad at slow burns so I'm surprised to even write this much damn/


	2. Chapter 2

When Lapis got home he was greeted by the sight of his sister waiting for him on the stairs, phone in her hand.

"Oh my god, did you get laid or what? I had to reach the furthest caverns of my ass for a lie to cover your back, you dick."

Lapis just stared at her, his eyes glistening. "Lazuli, you perfect bitch..."

"Oh, god… are you drunk?"

"No. I am just so blessed to have you as a sister."

"Well, shit. I'm guessing things went well at Romeo's?"

"By some miracle. He didn't try to strangle me once."

"Well I'm glad you're grateful because _I am_ drunk and I'm gonna need you to pull my hair back when I throw up in thirty seconds."

"Way to drag me from my cloud there, sis."

Lazuli shot up and covered her mouth with her hand. "Fu- Ten- five seconds," she stammered and then ran off towards the bathroom."

Lapis sighed and went after her.

* * *

Trunks had that dream again. He was in a school hallway walking towards his friends. There was someone with them, with her back turned to him. They had short black hair and wore his letterman jacket. He wrapped his arms around her and she- _he_ laughed. He turned around and kissed him.

When Trunks woke up, all he remembered was looking into shimmering blue eyes.

* * *

Monday came and Trunks felt nervous as he opened his locker. His best friend, Goten, chatted his ear off beside him but he couldn't focus on the words. His eyes kept darting into the halls without even realizing it.

Then Trunks saw Lapis and his sister walking down the hall and froze.

"Oh, great. It's the ice queen and king," said Goten with grimace. "I don't like that evil look on Lazuli's face, she looks ready to laugh at some prank."

Lazuli did look oddly amused looking at them. Though Trunks' gaze was focused on Lapis. He didn't seem to notice them as he talked to Lazuli. When Lapis started to walk past him Trunks quickly found his voice.

"H-Hey Lapis."

Lapis startled, paused and looked at him. Then Lazuli busted out a contained laugh and dragged Lapis away, who was grinning like he won the lottery.

Trunks felt embarrassed and a little pissed. He should have expected them to make a joke out of him being nice, but he didn't know what came over him.

Goten stared at him, mouth agape. "Dude, what the- okay- whatever possessed you to say hi to Lapis?!"

Trunks placed a hand over his face and groaned. "Look, I forgot to tell you but me and Lapis aren't really enemies anymore…"

"WHAT?! You forgot or did you just not want to tell me that you joined the dark side?"

"Er…"

"Great. Listen man, you gotta get that trickster out of your head! He's probably got some Carrie-level scheme in the works-"

"I don't think so this time."

"Why not!?"

Trunks thought back to watching Lapis sincerely laughing in his room.

"I just don't ok?"

* * *

Chemistry came and Lapis quickly designated himself as Trunks' lab partner. Their class murmured around them as Trunks tried to explain the lab to Lapis. Lapis only rested his head against his palm and focused on his partner's broad shoulders instead of his words.

When Trunks turned to look at him, Lapis stopped chewing his pencil and pretended to be attentive. Being this close, Trunks felt distracted by eyes blue enough to rival the sky.

The shift in Trunks and Lapis' relationship didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the school. They were expected to bicker, but now when Lapis teased him, they would share a laugh.

And when Lapis smiled, Trunks didn't hate it.

* * *

During lunch, Trunks barely picked at his food while his friends raved about some party. His eyes kept peering over at Lapis a few tables away. _I wonder what he's talking about…_

One of his friends nudged him and muttered, "Heads up, Sai's coming over."  
Trunks looked over and saw the school's leading jock and professional asshole, Sai, stride up to his table with a smug grin.

Sai placed his hands on the table and kneeled. "Hey Briefs, what's this I hear about you and Lapis, huh?"

Trunks glared at him. "Why do you care?"

"Whoa, I'm just worried about you, buddy. You wouldn't want to tarnish your reputation by getting close to that slut, right?"

Trunks shot up from his seat. "What did you say?"

Sai grinned at him, unnerved. "What, you didn't know? He sleeps with the teachers to keep his grades up. You wouldn't want people to say that he's blowing you too, right?"

Trunks grabbed Sai's jacket and clenched his fist.

Sai laughed. "What's wrong? It's not true, right?"

Before Trunks could say anything, two teachers came over and pulled them apart. Many students looked disappointed that there wasn't a fight.

Lapis heard everything. He should have anticipated Sai would stick his nose into their business. Lazuli glared daggers at Sai. "Asshole." She turned to Lapis and touched his arm. "Hey, don't let those lies get to you."

Lapis shook his head. "I don't care about that at all. Sai's just jealous."

The twins both knew how Sai had tried to hit on both of them. When that didn't work, he bitterly spread rumors about them.

* * *

After school ended Trunks went up to Lapis at his locker.

"Hey, Lapis?'

"Hey, you didn't get detention did you?"

"I think the counselor was too shocked that I didn't get into a fight with you this time."

Lapis smiled. "Maybe you're just easy to aggravate."

Trunks stepped closer to Lapis so he could speak out of range of passerby. "Does Sai mess with you?"

Lapis pressed himself against his locker. _He's so close right now._ "He wishes. All that stuff he told you was a load of bull."

Trunks sighed in relief. "Ok, but… I still don't like what he said about you."

Lapis felt his cheeks heat up. "That's because you're a nice guy..."

Trunks felt strange being earnestly complimented by Lapis. His heartbeat picked up and he suddenly felt too close to him. "I guess so. Just let me know if he bothers you again, ok?"

Lapis nodded. "Yeah."

Trunks rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He spotted Sai from afar smirking at them. Trunks put a hand around Lapis' shoulders. "Hey, let me walk you to your car."

Lapis shivered and struggled to keep his composure. "Are you my personal bodyguard now?"

"Yep."

Lazuli waited for her brother on his car, texting on her phone. When she saw Lapis walking towards her with his crush, she nearly dropped it. She furiously typed, "Ashdjgkrnbk LOOK," took a picture of her twin, and sent it to two of her closest friends.

She grinned as her subjects of entertainment arrived. "Heeeeey."

Lapis sent her his _cool it_ look and turned to Trunks. "I'll see you later."

Lazuli was gaping. Trunks was smiling at her twin sheepishly and saying his goodbye.

Lapis watched him walked away and exhaled a breath he'd been holding in.

Lazuli poked his shoulder. "What was _that_ , huh?"

Lapis walked past her and unlocked his car. "Nothing."

Lazuli bursted out a laugh. "Oh my God, the way he looked at you was adorable."

Lapis shook his head. "He always looks adorable. And I'm one hundred percent in love with him."

"That's so fucking cute. Ew."


	3. Chapter 3

Sai watched Trunks put his arm around Lapis and walk towards the exit. He tsked and walked away. If he can't have Lapis, no one can. He'll make them suffer.

A girl caught up to him. "Hey Sai! Hear about that party this Saturday? Everyone is going."

Sai raised an eyebrow. "Everyone, huh?"

* * *

Friday came with it Lapis' next study session, and he worked harder than before to finish the work. He wanted it out of the way so he can spend more time talking to Trunks.

Trunks looked over his work. "Huh, you actually got all these questions right."

Lapis shrugged. "We went over this stuff as lab partners, didn't we?"

" _I'm not pretending to be dumb just to get close to you or anything…_ "

Lapis jumped off the bed. "So, you haven't given me a tour of the mansion yet."

"Huh? You trying to snoop my place for secrets?"

"I don't exactly live like a king like you do, right?"

"Alright, but trust me, it's like fifty-percent guest rooms."

"Then show me everything else, duh."

Trunks sighed and got up from the bed. "Fine, but I'll have to charge you the standard rate: ten thousand zeni."

Lapis smiled coyly. "I just don't have that kind of money," he said, then his voice turned very suggestive, "There _must_ be some other way I can pay you…"

Trunks turned beet red. "K-knock that off. You don't really do that stuff with guys, right?"

Lapis laughed. "It's just a joke!"

"Right." He lead him down the hall. "So, you and Sai weren't… together, right?"

Lapis felt like avoiding this topic. "Sai is nothing to me. Not since…" He stopped.

He looked back at him questionably. "Since?"

Lapis stared at a glass doorway that showed what looked like a greenhouse beyond it.

"What is that?" he asked.

"That's where my grandparents keep their own private zoo. But what where you gonna-"

Lapis quickly went to enter the room. "I have to see _that!"_

The larged room was filled with plants, exotic animals, and brightly colored birds. Lapis felt like a child and beamed with excitement. "This place is amazing!"

Trunks wanted to question him further about Sai, but he felt warmth from Lapis' expression and he was surprised that he could be so innocently awed by animals. He grabbed a bag from a nearby table and went up to Lapis, who tried to whistle at the birds.

"Hey, give me your hand."

Lapis turned to him, his eyes wide. "Why?"

"Just do it."

Lapis put his hand in his and Trunks spilled the bag into and over his hand. The sight of food pellets summoned a tornado of birds down around them and Lapis cried out in laughter. Many of them landed around their feet and picked at the fallen pellets, while four rested on Lapis' arms and shoulders, with two more in his hand. One landed on Trunks' head, and he couldn't help but laugh too.

Lapis smiled warmly at the birds in his hand. "They're beautiful."

Trunks thought about it. He'd gotten so used to seeing these birds that it didn't occur to him that many other people haven't. He was much more intrigued by the way Lapis' eyes sparkled.

"I guess I took them for granted. Gramps told me once they're all rare breeds. Some are almost extinct. I don't see the point in caging or killing a bird for it's feathers."

Lapis frowned. "That's horrible. Birds should never be caged, that's too cruel. They have wings for a reason."

Trunks looked at his sad expression and personally swore to take care of this room until the day he died.

Lapis quickly recovered when he glanced at Trunks' jacket and stifled a laugh.

Trunks looked confused. "What is it?"

"I'm guessing you don't usually feed the birds, huh?"

Trunks looked down at his shoulder and grimaced. "UGH! That's it, get off!" He shook his head and the bird flew off.

Lapis was reluctant to leave the animal sanctuary and followed Trunks up the stairs. Trunks smiled at him softly. "You really like animals, don't you Lapis?"

Lapis pouted. "Isn't it human to want to protect life?"

"I guess I took you for more of a hunter-type."

Lapis scoffed. "I'm going to pretend I'm not offended that you said that."

They entered a living room with glass windows and doors that led into a wide balcony.

Trunks told Lapis that this was the main lounge for friends and family. A blonde woman sitting at a coffee table littered with sweets waved at them.

"Well hello there! Are you my grandson's new girlfriend?"

Trunks and Lapis blushed and avoided eye contact.

"This is Lapis, he's not a girl…"

Trunks forgot his grandmother was almost always in this room. She rest the palm of her hand against her cheek. "Oh my! But his figure is so slim! Are you eating enough, honey?"

Lapis awkwardly nodded. "Uh, yeah…" He noticed Trunks starting at his waist and Trunks must've realized it too, because when he looked away his ears were glowing red.

"Here, take some chocolates, I made them myself!"

Lapis looked at Trunks for help and he grabbed his arm and pulled him away. "Sorry Gran, we're saving room for pizza."

"Oh you! I know you can eat just as much as your father!"

Trunks led Lapis down another hall. "Sorry, I kind of brought you into an ambush there."

Lapis shook his head. "No, no, I like your Gran. She's spunky."

Her voice rang down the hall. "And Trunks! If you're having pizza again ask the chef to make it! Your grandfather didn't build him for nothing!"

Lapis chuckled. "Now that sounds like a plan."

Trunks groaned. "I do not trust robots to do anything right."

The next room Trunks showed Lapis was a private theater with four rows of seats.

"So I was thinking we could watch a movie in here this time."

Lapis beamed and mosied over to the shelves stocked with movies. "Aw, hell yes! Finally, the way cult classics were meant to be seen can be re-lived…"

"Great, as long as it's not Terminator, those movies suck."

Lapis gaped at him. "Excuse me? Time travel? Assassin androids?"

"They just got so convoluted! There are better Schwarzenegger movies out there!"

"Like what, _Total Recall_? ….No really, that's the only other one I've seen. Was he RoboCop or…?"

"What? No!"

Lapis stared at him for a moment and then went back to scanning the shelves. "So maybe I'm not so familiar with cult classics… does Howard the Duck count?"

"That's it, I'm picking the movie."

"Nooo, what about a giant monster movie, like Godzilla, or King Kong!"

"Ehhh which King Kong?"

Lapis avoided looking at him. "Um...the one by Peter Jackson?"

"...I've only seen Skull Island."

Lapis sighed in relief.

They watched through King Kong, Godzilla, and Pacific Rim while eating pizza that was definitely ordered out. Lapis at one point did put on Howard the Duck but Trunks immediately stopped the film when they saw a duck with actual breasts.

"WHAT. No. This is over. Just _what?!"_

When searching for their next movie, Bulma walked into the room. "There you are! I hope you haven't been slacking off."

Lapis grinned. "Of course not."

"Oh Lapis, it's getting late, are you staying the night this time?"

Lapis shook his head. "To tell you the truth, my guardians don't even know I'm here."

"Ahh I understand. A lot of scientists have a rivalry with my father. Don't worry, I can keep a secret." She winked and handed them a bowl of popcorn.

When she left the room, Trunks looked at him and said, "She really can't keep a secret."

Lapis turned pale and Trunks laughed. "I'm kidding! It's payback for making me watch that-"

Lapis raised a fistful of popcorn and squinted at him. "Our truce is over. Time to die."

Trunks yelped as he was hit by a volley of popcorn.

They settled for one more movie before Trunks walked Lapis back to his car. "Okay, I have to admit, you're a lot more fun to hang out with than I thought."

Lapis smirked. "You're not such a buzzkill yourself."

"Haha."

Lapis was turning on the engine when Trunks remembered something. He knocked on the window hurriedly. Lapis lowered it and looked up at him quizzically.

"Hey, are you going to that party tomorrow night?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you, uh, want to go together? I'm only driving two other friends there…"

Lapis pretended to be thinking about it but really he was cheering internally. "I guess it would be better than having to drive Lazuli's loud friends there."

Trunks grinned. "Great, I'll pick you up around nine?"

Lapis smiled. "Sounds good."

* * *

When Trunks had that dream again, he remembered who he held in his arms.


	4. Chapter 4

Lazuli was woken up at one in the afternoon by her panicked brother.

"Lazuli hurry up and wake up. I need you to help me look hot okay no one does makeup like you do."

Lazuli groaned into her pillow and faced him with one eye. "This is true. But fuck off."

"You lazy- I'm not driving you to the party, ok!"

Lazuli raised her head. "What?"

"Trunks is taking me."

"WHAT!?"

"So get your ass out of bed because you take forever to do your own makeup."

"Uuggghhh, okay okay."

Lazuli sunk her head back into the pillow. Lapis rolled his eyes, grabbed the edge of her blanket and pulled it off, causing her to yelp.

"Asshole!"

Lazuli later pulled back her twins hair into an extremely tight ponytail for revenge. Lapis cursed at her reflection in the mirror.

"That's too tight!"

"Gotta make sure no hairs get in the way."

"Yeah, right."

Lazuli primed his face and went to her go-to products for a subtle "natural" look. Eyeliner can be too noticeable on guys, so she used mascara instead. Lastly, she lined his brows and applied a light amount of red lip-liner to the center of his lips.

"There. No one will even notice you're gay."

Lapis pulled out his hair tie, looked at himself in the mirror. He turned to Lazuli and smirked. "Great, now help pick out some clothes."

"Ugh. Why do you have to have fashion sense from the nineties?"

"To embarrass you."

"Dick."

Lazuli put him into a white tee with a black leather jacket on top. She dug into his drawer for jeans that actually fit him and managed to find one that wasn't torn.

"Here. Wear white sneakers or you'll look like you're trying too hard."

Lapis pulled on the outfit and his twin nodded in approval. "A funnel-neck jacket makes you look like you have a choker on even when it's unbuttoned. Trunks is gonna have competition at that party, for sure. I'm too good."

"Yeah, yeah, thank you very much."

Lazuli smiled at him warmly.

* * *

When Trunks woke up, he stared at his ceiling for three hours, his mind blown. He had just dreamt about kissing Lapis.

" _SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT. AM I GAY? SHIIIIIT."_

Trunks thought about Lapis and how he actually thought he was cute with those birds and how his Gran was right about his slim figure and then he looked at his waist and hips and-

" _Ohmygod. I looked at his ass."_

Trunks felt stupid that it took him so long to realize he was attracted to Lapis. He would look at his lips and eyes a lot, why did he do that? Was he… in love?

Lapis had shown a side of him that was caring and gentle. And he was physically his type: dark hair and pretty eyes. Wait, he didn't get into that type until high school…

" _Oh my god, I've been in love with Lapis this whole time."_

"Lapis is probably attracted to men right? He might have dated Sai, and he looks at my shoulders a lot… I could have a chance-WAIT, what am I thinking?!"

Trunks sat up in bed. "Me and Lapis... could that even work? Just because we're friends now doesn't mean we'd be a perfect couple. It couldn't. What kind of couple hates each other first and then falls in love? I'm just insane."

He thought about his dream and Lapis' lowered eyes and soft lips and felt heat rushing through his body. "I'm screwed and I'm insane."

* * *

Night approached and Trunks went out to pick up his new friend, Jamie. She was new to their school and had forest green hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"Hey, thanks for inviting me to go with you guys!"

"It's no problem."

Next was Goten, who slid into the car next to Jamie and wore a windbreaker.

"Wow, you didn't dress up? Popularity takes no effort for you."

Trunks looked down. He was wearing a typical denim jacket with a black shirt underneath and black jeans. He suddenly panicked and wondered if Lapis was dressing up.

"Does it look lazy?"

"What? No, I'm kidding. What, is a girl you like going to be there?"

"No!"

Jamie giggled. "That sounded like a yes."

"Whoa, seriously? Who is it?"

"Nobody, ok!"

Trunks drove off towards Lapis' address.

"I'm picking up one more person…"

"Huh? You didn't tell me that."

"Well, I kind of invited him last minute."

Trunks pulled up away from Dr. Gero's gate so that Lapis wouldn't get in trouble. He sent him a text that he was here.

Jamie looked up at the tall metal gates in awe. "Wow… is everyone at school rich or what?"

"Wait… Trunks, isn't this Ger- WAIT, did you invite the twins to come with us?!"

Trunks sighed. "It's just Lapis."

"Just Lapis. What is going on with you guys? First you say hi to him in the halls, then you take on his baggage with Sai, and now you're driving him around?"

Jamie looked puzzled. "What's wrong with Lapis?"

Goten went on a rant to her about all the times Lapis had been a jerk, but Trunks tuned out of it when the gates opened. He swallowed as Lapis out, looking like a movie star who would look good in anything.

Jamie gasped. "Wow, he's hot though!"

Trunks bit his tongue so he wouldn't agree with her.

Lapis got into the passenger seat. "Hey."

Trunks swallowed. "Hey, Lapis."

" _You look stunning. Your hair looks really soft and I want to ki-"_

Goten cleared his throat and crossed his arms. Jamie snickered at Trunks. "You're staring at him, you know."

Trunks blushed and looked at the road. "I was just-! Looking at his jacket!"

"Uh huh. Suuuure you were."

Lapis chuckled, his cheeks pink. He pretended not notice Trunks darting his eyes at him the entire trip.

The party took place at a villa with cars lining the lawn.

Jamie whistled. "Man, looks like somebody's parents are out of town."

There was music coming from the backyard, and the sounds of splashing and screams of delight.

Goten cried, "Aw man! I forgot a swimsuit!"

Trunks thought about pools, and then about showers, and then about that time he saw Lapis getting out of a shower in the locker room-

"We're not doing pools," he said before his memory gets anymore detailed.

They went inside where streamers hung from the walls and music blared from a stereo nearby. A boy got up from the stairs and walked up to them. "Hey guys, glad you could make it! The drinks are in the kitchen."

Jamie smiled kindly but leaned over to Lapis and whispered, "Who is that?"

Lapis chuckled. "That's Aki. This is his party."

"Ooooh so that's what he looks like."

Aki was stouty and in the wrestling team. He pointed to where the kitchen was and said, "Don't worry, there's plenty of drinks for everyone!"

Jamie's eyes went wide she followed the others into the living room and asked, "Do you think they have fruit punch with vodka mixed in?

Lapis shook his head. "Don't go to a fruit bowl, girly. You don't know what gets mixed into those."

Jamie smiled. "Well, then. Looks like you've volunteered to make my drink for me!"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the kitchen. Trunks watched with a twang of jealousy. He wanted to follow but he hated drinking. Even though he had a high tolerance, he didn't care for the taste. He'd only get into it after fights with his dad.

Aki watched from a distance. He whispered into a girl's ear and sent Sai's plan into motion.


	5. Chapter 5

Jamie and Lapis found Lazuli in the kitchen with her friends, passing around a bottle of vodka.

One of them whistled at Lapis.

"Oooh would you look at that cutie! Are you sure you're gay, cuz I could take you upstairs and-"

Lazuli covered her mouth. "Shut up, you're not rugged enough for him." She looked at Jamie up and down. "Haven't seen you around."

Jamie looked flustered. "I'm new."

Lazuli held out the bottle. "Want some?"

Her redheaded friend laughed next to her. "Nooo, give the rest to Lapis. He should get _really_ drunk and then try to make a move on Trunks."

Lazuli squinted at her. "But then he could easily take advantage of him if he wanted to. Use 'er head." She hiccuped.

Lapis sighed. "Hey, you're not drunk already are you? I'm more worried about someone else taking advantage of _you."_

Lazuli laughed. "Don't worrrrry. I'll drink water and by the time the party's over I'll be sober."

"Suuuure."

Lapis looked at a bottle on the counter and Jamie grabbed some cups.

"Hey, so it _is_ true you like guys?"

Lapis focused on shaking the bottle. "I guess. Lazuli's friends probably haven't told anyone because they're ride-or-die bitches."

Jamie frowned and Lapis raised his hands. "Sorry. BFFs."

"Does the B stand for-"

"Yes."

Jamie wrinkled her nose at him. "Well, I guess we're friends now, anyways. Don't worry, I won't tell Trunks you like him. You're the only other gay person I know."

Lapis continued mixing a drink with orange juice and Jamie cleared her voice. "Hellloooo? I'm a lesbian?"

"Oh sorry, I thought you made it obvious. You're wearing flannel."

Jamie smirked at him. "You know, I think I know why you were enemies with my friends."

Lapis grinned. "Then we can now be friends. Every friend applicant has to pass the test of hating me first."

"Haha. Hey does your sister like girls?"

Lapis choked from a combustive laugh. "Good fucking luck with that! You'll need to shave off your legs, she likes to look down on people."

"Oh come on, she can't be that bad, right?"

"No really, she's seeing a guy in college who's, like, one or two feet shorter than her."

"Aw so she's taken? Well at least she gives shorter guys a chance. Most straight girls I know like guys who are six-feet tall."

They laughed and poured some drinks. They poured a whole row and tried to see who would drink them down the fastest. Aki came in and cheered them on alongside Lazuli's friends. Lapis won and everyone in the kitchen cheered.

Aki patted him on the back. "Way to go, man! Here, have a swig of this." He passed Lapis a flask and he took it.

"T-thanks." Lapis loved to win, but he wasn't very tolerant to drinking. Still, he sipped from the flask.

* * *

Trunks leaned against a wall and watched Lapis talking to Jamie from the living area. "They look like they're getting along well…" He hoped they didn't like each other in that way.

Goten followed his eyes. "Yeah, _too well._ Next week she's gonna join his clique and gossip all about us at this rate."

"She wouldn't do that…"

His friend examined him. "You know, you're acting really weird. Were you really staring at Lapis in the car?"

"..."

"Whatever… I'm going outside if you're gonna give me the silent treatment."

"Wait, G-"

Trunks reached out for his friend but Lapis walked up to him. When he looked down his eyes went wide. One of his ex-girlfriends was hanging onto him.

"Long time no see, huh Trunks?"

"What do you want? Didn't you dump me so you could be with Lapis?"

"I'm so sorry I did that! I should have never cheated on you!"

She wobbled and Trunks smelled alcohol on her. "You're drunk."

"I didn't know he was just using me to hurt your feelings. He was so awful to me!"

Trunks looked at her. "What are you talking about?"

She looked past his shoulder and saw Lapis watching. "When I broke up with you he dumped me a week later! I tried to sleep with him and he said he'd never be with someone like me! Please take me back!" She threw herself on him and Trunks panicked.

"Hey! Get off me!"

Because Lapis was so inebriated, it looked like Trunks was embracing a girl. He shook his head and started to walk outside, but then he stumbled and Aki caught him.

"Whoa there! Do you need to lie down? That was a lot of drinks you went through!"

Lapis sighed in frustration. "I'm fine."

Aki led him down the hall. "You can cool off in my room, I insist."

Lapis felt increasingly dizzy with each passing second. "I guess you're right."

* * *

Trunks finally pulled off his ex and scolded her. "I don't want to be with you okay?"

She rubbed her eye and smudged her eyeliner. "B-but Aki said you told him that you missed me?"

"I never said that! Look, I'm sorry about what happened, but it's in the past-" Trunks looked back at the kitchen and noticed that Lapis was gone. "I have to go."

"You men are such jerks! All you do is tug me along!"

She threw her drink at him and Trunks cursed. "What the hell!?"

"Screw you!" She drove off into the crowd and Trunks felt like everything was going wrong.

He went looking for Lapis in the kitchen, but he was nowhere in sight.

Jamie's eyes went wide at his wet clothes. "Whoa, did something happen?"

Trunks looked past her. "I'm fine, where's Lapis?"

"He looked really sick so Aki took him upstairs."

"Aki did? Something isn't right here. I'm going to check on him."

Jamie looked concerned. "Okay..."

While Lapis was alone in Aki's room, he felt faded and tired, like all of the energy was sucked out of him. He was lying down on the bed when someone entered, locking the door behind him.

Lapis struggled to speak. "Who…?"

He felt someone cradling his face. He tried to open his eyes but they were a blur to him.

"I'm here now. Don't worry, I'll give you everything you'd ever want."

Lapis knew that voice. He felt his body fill with fear. "Sai?"

"Trunks will never love you. Me? I can give you everything."

Lapis tried to crawl away from him. "Don't touch me…"

Sai pulled him close with no effort. "You should have never gotten me addicted to you. I even stopped pursuing your sister, you're just that good." He gripped Lapis' hands tightly enough to leave marks. "I never made it with her, so why did you have to push me away?"

"You're a pig!"

"Whatever," Sai replied, groping his back, "It's not like you're going to remember any of this anyway."

Trunks climbed the stairs but his path into the hall was blocked by Aki.

"Hey now, don't forget who owns the place."

Trunks glared at him. "Why did you tell my ex that I wanted to get back together?"

Aki feigned innocence. "You don't? I was just tryna help you out, man. I thought you liked her."

"Where's Lapis?"

"Relaaaax. He's the one having fun right now."

Trunks shoved past him. He looked through the rooms calling out for Lapis until he reached one that was locked. "Who's in there?"

Sai raised his voice through the door. "Go away, we're busy in here!"

Trunks recgonized Sai's voice and red filled his vision. He banged on the door. "What are you doing to Lapis?!"

"He doesn't want to see you, Briefs. He prefers me instead."

Trunks backed up and charged at the door. He broke through and saw Lapis unconscious on the bed, Sai standing beside him with his arms crossed.

Trunks was determined to punch him, but he ran to Lapis first. "What the hell did you do to him?"

Sai rolled his eyes. "I haven't done anything to him. You're overreacting."

"Then why did you lock the door."

"Obviously for privacy. Lapis wanted to talk to me. I promised him no more rumors."

Trunks brushed hair out of Lapis' face. "I'm taking him home."

"Ah, no. He wanted me to take him home."

Trunks stood up and glared daggers at him. "Why the hell would he want that."

"Think about it. If you carried Lapis up to Gero's door, you'd only be getting him in trouble. Plus his sister has no room in her car. Gero would believe me, I'm his favorite guest. Besides, I told Lapis I wanted to make things right between us. He said to start by taking care of him," Sai walked up to Trunks and looked him in the eye, "And I will."

"I don't trust you with him."

"Why do you care? Didn't you run see your ex? Why would you care about someone who messed with your emotions over and over again?"

Aki ran to the doorway, angry. "You broke my door?! That's it, Briefs! Get out of here!"

Sai laughed. "Come on Aki, it's a party. Doors get broken, chandeliers fall, you should have seen it coming."

Aki placed his hands on his head. "My Dad's going to kill me!"

Sai shook his head at Trunks. "Looks like you crashed the party."

Trunks felt bewildered. "I don't believe you… You're a manipulative asshole."

Sai shrugged. "I don't care what you think of me."

Aki grabbed Trunks by his jacket and dragged him out of his room. Jamie and Lazuli were waiting by the staircase.

Lazuli furrowed her brows with concern. "What's going on? Is Lapis okay?"

Trunks stared at the floor. "He's passed out. Sai was with him."

"WHAT. Did you punch out his lights?!"

Trunks shook his head. "He said Lapis wanted him to take him home."

The girls looked at each other. Jamie put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey! Do you like Lapis?"

"...Yeah. I think so."

Lazuli smacked him. "If you don't fight for him right now, he'll never forgive you!"

Trunks looked up at her. "You're right."

The three of them hurried back to Aki's room, but Sai and Lapis were gone. Trunks out to the balcony at discovered a staircase on the other side.

"No...NO!"

Lazuli took out her phone. "Someone has to have photo of Sai's car. We can look for the license plate."

Jamie spoke up. "Someone should keep watch at your place though, in case he shows up!"

"What if he doesn't show up?! I dont- hey! Where are you going?"

The girls watched Trunks run down the stairs. "I'm going after him!"

"Wait for us, jerk!"


	6. Chapter 6

Sai put Lapis into his car, but before he closed the door a hand gripped his shoulder.

He sighed. "What are you doing, Son?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Sai turned around. "Look, just walk away and-"

Goten punched him in the face.

Sai clutched his nosed in pain and seethed. "You're going to regret that."

"You're not taking him anywhere."

People nearby saw the punch and were pulling out their phones. Sai looked at them and then back at Goten.

He raised his voice for others to hear. "I was trying to help him, dick." He stepped aside and gestured to Lapis. "Go ahead, take him if it matters so much to you," he lowered his voice, "and why should it?"

Goten reached inside and lifted up Lapis. He turned and looked back at Sai with determination. "Because my best friend cares about him. So I do, too."

Trunks and the girls ran to the front yard and saw Goten walking towards them with Lapis in his arms. Lazuli ran up to him and checked her twin.

"Thank God!"

She looked up at Goten, eyes wide. "What happened?"

Goten looked at her uneasily. "Sai was putting him in his car, so I took him out… after punching that ass in the face."

Trunks walked up to him, surprised. "You didn't."

"Yep."

Jamie smiled widely. "You're a hero!"

Goten shrugged. "What kind of prick would just stand by and do nothing?"

Lazuli smiled genuinely for the first time all night. "Thank you."

Goten nodded and gave Lapis to Trunks. "Don't worry about it."

Trunks cradled Lapis in his arms. "I'm taking him home."

Lazuli looked uneasy. "I think we'd get in trouble if he went back like that. You should take him back with you. I'll tell our warden that he spent the night at a friend's."

"You sure?"

"I trust you with him."

* * *

When Lapis woke up his bed felt much more comfortable than usual. He rubbed his eyes and sunlight peered through shutters from long glass windows-

Wait, his room doesn't have those.

He sat up. "Huh?"

" _This isn't my room… This is Trunks' bedroom?"_

The couch nearby looked had a bed pillow and blanket, as if someone sleep there last night. Lapis felt groggy and looked down at his watch.

"Five pm?"

The door opened and Trunks came in with a plate of food.

"Lapis!" He set down the plate and rushed to his side.

"Are you feeling okay?"

Lapis feel embarrassed. "Yeah."

"I was worried about you…" Trunks grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently.

Lapis lightly blushed. "Did I do something weird last night?"

"You didn't do anything. You passed out and then…"

Lapis heard his voice shake. "And then what?"

"Sai tried to take you home in his car."

Lapis' eyes widened. "He did?"

"Yeah, but none of us trusted him with you. Not even Goten. He punched Sai in the face and carried you out of his car."

"Now you're messing with me."

"I swear it's true. I just wish I was the one who punched him. Your sister suggested I take you here. I know I have a lot of guest rooms, but after what happened, I didn't want to leave you alone."

Lapis felt the loud drumming of his heartbeat. "You really are sweet… I'm sorry I picked on you guys so much. This means so much to me."

"Lapis… was Sai your boyfriend?"

Lapis sighed and rested his head against the bed frame. "We never dated. I hooked up with him one time, freshman year. I guess I was pretty good, 'cause he kept pestering me for sex after that. I wouldn't say yes because Lazuli told me afterwards that he used to creep her out."

Trunks felt clenched his fist. "Did he ever hurt you?"

Lapis wasn't looking at him. "One day he went too far. He caught me when I was alone and-"

He exhaled. "He kissed me and tried to undress me. I tried to push him away, but he trapped me against a wall. We heard someone coming and he dropped his guard, so I punched him and ran away. The next time I saw him, I told him never to speak to me again."

"Lapis…"

"I'm sorry I dragged you into-"

Trunks pulled Lapis into his arms. Lapis realized he had been shaking. Trunks hugged him tightly.

"You're not dragging me into anything. I care about you."

Lapis relaxed against him. "Since when?"

"Since always. I just didn't know it until now."

Lapis looked up and searched his eyes. "I care about you, too. I've always known that."

Trunks felt his heart racing. He looked at Lapis' lips but felt that if he kissed him he'd be like Sai; greedy and insensitive. He was happy enough just to comfort him. Lapis rested his head against Trunks' chest and relaxed to the sound of his heart beating.

Lapis has never felt so sure that he was in love.


	7. Definitely a Date

"Lapis, are you feeling alright now?"

"My head feels fuzzy… I think there was something in one of my drinks."

"...Did Aki give you a drink?"

"Aki? Yeah, he did."

Trunks' grip tightened. _That son of a bitch!_ "Listen, don't trust him from now on, ok? He's Sai's friend."

Lapis paled. "You think he drugged me?"

"It might be too late to find out. I'm such an idiot, I should have taken you to a hospital."

Lapis shook his head. "No, it's okay I'm fine-"

"It's not okay! I could have done more for you-"

Lapis grabbed his shoulders. "Stop it. You did enough."

"Shit, sorry… you're the one that needs to be comforted right now."

Lapis laughed and rested his head against him. "It's funny, but I'm not freaking out that much. You already make me so feel safe."

Trunks felt hopeful hearing him say that. "That's… good."

 _Lapis likes guys obviously… I hope I haven't read too much into his behavior around me…_

"Lapis, I would never treat you the way Sai did."

Lapis pulled away and searched his eyes. "I know you wouldn't."

Trunks knew hinting his feelings wouldn't be enough, but he couldn't just say ' _I like you_ ' right now.

"That's why...I want to do something special for you. Tell me what would make you happy, and I'll do it. You get one freebie from the richest family on Earth."

Lapis smiled and looked thoughtful.

 _What I really want, you can't give._

"Even if asked you for a hundred man-eating robots?"

Trunks smirked. "Maybe just one."

"How about making me king of a country?"

"Hm… I can't have you take over one, but I can _make_ you a country."

Lapis laughed. "God, It's actually making me angry that you can do it!"

"I meant what I said."

"If I was to ask for an actual material object, it would be a really awesome car, but it feels like a waste."

"Why?"

"I want to _go_ somewhere, escape this crappy town! But there's so many places I want to see."

"That sounds like something I can grant in the Summer. I _can_ take you somewhere right now."

Lapis raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

"It doesn't count as your gift, it's just something I want to do."

Trunks had a feeling Lapis would love this place.

* * *

Lapis recognized the direction they were driving in. "Are we going to the beach?"

Trunks smiled but kept his eyes focused on the road. "We can if you want to. I want this to be a surprise though, so close your eyes."

Lapis huffed and did as he was told.

When the car stopped, he peeked out and saw a huge building next to the ocean.

"Where are we?"

"Hey! I should've known you'd look anyway."

"You really should've." Trunks nodded at a sign by the building. "This place is basically like another animal sanctuary sponsored by my family. I thought it would make you feel better."

Lapis stared out the window at the sign and then lowered his eyes. "Was it that obvious that I like animals?"

"I figured you just got along with them better than most people…" Trunks furrowed his brows in concern. "Was this a bad idea? I can take you somewhere else."

Lapis shook his head. "No," he turned around and beamed at him, "You guessed me just right. I am a total tree hugger."

Trunks sighed a breath of relief. "Good. I would have never had guessed if I hadn't seen five birds on you."

"Well come on! Let's hurry up and go in already!"

Trunks took Lapis to parts of the rescue center that most tourists couldn't visit. Lapis was eager to talk to the scientists and marine veterinarians they met and was clearly more interested in learning biology compared to math. He even offered to help a vet bandage a parrot, surprising Trunks.

"Where did you learn first aid like that?"

Lapis looked embarrassed. "I was a scout as a kid, this is nothing."

"I'm guessing you liked it a lot. That's cute."

"Shut up."

Lapis went on to help another vet to soothe a seal with soft petting, and another to feed dolphins. Seeing Lapis hold conversations with the professionals, Trunks couldn't help but admire him. When they were done in the clinic they walked through the exhibits together.

Lapis placed his hands behind his back and smiled cheekily. "Did you know I've never even touched a sea animal until today?"

Trunks gave him an impressed grin. "I would've thought you've been working with them all your life."

"Great to hear that I've I fooled you yet again."

"Your wickedness knows no bounds."

Lapis walked up super suspiciously to a touch pool and splashed water at him. Trunks pretended to be upset.

"Hey! You'll pay for that!"

He chased Lapis around the pool and tried to splash him back, the two of them laughing as they played around. Just as he was about to get caught, Lapis slipped on a puddle and fell back against Trunks, resulting in the both of them falling to the floor like idiots.

"Ow."

Lapis turned over and looked up at his fallen comrade. "Oops. Did you hit your head?" He sat up and lent out a hand to him.

Trunks chuckled and let Lapis help him up. "I'm fine. You might've been worse if I wasn't behind you."

Lapis noticed he hadn't let go of his hand, and he was looking at him in an enduring way. He also realized they were standing really close together. Was he going crazy or was Trunks' face getting closer?

"Lapis, I-" Suddenly, Trunks was hit by a splash of water. "Agh! What the heck?"

They turned and saw the manta rays in the tank swimming in circles, tossing water at them.

Lapis tried bit back laughter but still ended up snickering helplessly. "I think they're mad at you for messing with their tank!"

"What? You started it!"

"Pinning the blame on me again? Real mature."

"Why you little-" Trunks got splashed again. "Hey!"

Lapis bursted out laughing. "Let's go find you a towel."

* * *

Later they stopped inside a glass tunnel to watch the colorful fish swim around them.

Lapis' smile dropped and Trunks became worried. "What's wrong, Lapis?"

Lapis sighed. "It's nothing. I guess I'm sad that these guys have to be in here in the first place. The way people carelessly treat the Earth... I'd rather be around animals than them."

"...Do you see yourself working with nature, Lapis?"

Lapis looked at Trunks, curiously. "I suppose so. I never really think that far ahead."

"Well, if you do, I would make sure that you have the support of my family's company. I want to support your ideals."

Lapis' mouth slightly opened. "Trunks… Do you really trust me that much now?"

"Of course I do… I know you." Trunks felt his heart racing. "Better than anyone. I know that you're stubborn, and sarcastic, can definitely be a dick to people."

Lapis pouted and Trunks quickly waved his hands. "But! You're also kind-hearted, and funny, and idealistic, and gentle-"

Lapis turned completely red and place his hands against Trunks' mouth. "Okay! Stop! I've never been given this many compliments at once! I think I might explode!"

Trunks pulled his hands away and held them. "AND, the way your eyes sparkle when you look at the world is the most precious thing I've ever seen."

Lapis looked at his hands being held. "This isn't a date is it?"

Trunks turned pink. "Huh?"

Lapis brushed his thumbs against the hands holding them. "Because if it was I would definitely kiss you right now."

Trunks felt stunned but when Lapis started to pull away he reached out and grabbed his shoulders with a determined expression. "This is a date."

Lapis' eyes widened, and then he smiled so brilliantly Trunks thought he would turn blind. Lapis pressed his hands against his chest and raised his head up while lowering his eyes. Trunks shut his eyes tightly in anticipation, but then felt a tug against his shirt.

Lapis was blushing furiously, and gave a nervous laugh as he tried to stand on the tips of his toes. "You're too tall…"

Trunks scowled impatiently and wrapped his arms around Lapis' waist, lifting Lapis up to his lips. Lapis was only touching the floor by the tips of his shoes, but he felt like he was flying. When their lips pulled away they looked at each other with lowered eyes.

Trunks sighed. "You drive me crazy, you know that?"

Lapis beamed at him. "Yeah, well, what else is new?"


	8. Chapter 8

An employee caught them in the tunnel, pressed up against the glass wall and snogging.

"No touching the glass," he said in a bored voice.

Trunks quickly pulled away from Lapis' lips, remembering that they were in a public place. "Sorry!"

Lapis snickered. "Apologize to the fish too, why don't you?"

Trunks felt embarrassed but smiled. He couldn't believe he was making out with Lapis.

"I'm not gonna to apologize to fish."

Lapis eyed his lips, clearly wanting to kiss him more. "How cruel."

"I guess so. I took you to look at fish and then kissed you. Not the most romantic place idea..."

"No, this is perfect." Lapis gave Trunks a swift peck on the lips. "I've always wanted to kiss you, you know."

"Seriously? You didn't act like it."

"Yeah, I guess I could be hitting you instead."

Trunks pressed their foreheads together. "I think I prefer kissing."

"Since when?"

"Kind of recently. I guess I never really thought about it until I found out you liked guys…"

Lapis raised an eyebrow. "So does that mean you like me?"

"I- I just kissed you didn't I?!"

"I know but…" Lapis looked away sheepishly. "What does that make us?"

Trunks sighed and grabbed his hand gently. "Lapis, since this is a date, then that means we're dating."

Lapis felt like his heart was going to burst. "Sorry, I just…" His face felt hot and he buried it into Trunks' shoulder.

Trunks smiled and gently pressed his hand. "I didn't know you could get shy."

Lapis looked up at his lips with a slight pout. "Shut up."

Just before their lips could touch again, Lapis' phone chimed with a notification. He glanced at the screen, noticing several texts from Lazuli'.

"Something wrong?"

Lapis imagined the look on his sister's face when he tells her the news. He silenced it and wrapped his arms around Trunks neck.

"It's nothing...," he replied, and then he pulled himself up for another kiss.

When Trunks started the car to drive them off, he seemed hesitant. Lapis became nervous.

"What's wrong?" He asked, hoping that he wasn't having regrets.

Trunks hand cautiously touched Lapis'.

"Can I…?"

Lapis bit back a laugh, and laced their fingers together.

"Now who's the shy one?"

Despite his response, he was pretty sure he was blushing just as hard as Trunks.

"Sorry, I'm not sure how guys date…"

"Just like everyone else, dummy."

"Oh, so the name-calling still stands?"

"Can you imagine me saying 'cutie-pie'?"

"Well, you just said it, so yes."

"Just drive, 'honey-bear'."

"Ok, ok- just go back to 'dummy'!"

Lapis laughed. "Are you sure? I thought you didn't like it."

Trunks kept his eyes on the road. "I don't hate it… if it's you."

Lapis' breath hitched. It took him a second to recover.

"Well then, you big dumb stupid-"

"Watch it."

"...I really like you. I've actually had a crush on you for a while. I guess it's stupid, I probably don't deserve this at all, but I'm so happy…"

Trunks pulled over abruptly, taking his hand off of Lapis to put the car into park. He then buried his beet-red face into his hands.

"How am I supposed to drive after that!?"

"Sorry… was that weird?"

Trunks turned and grabbed his shoulders. "No! I like that you're being honest with me. The more we now about each other the better, right?"

Lapis felt uneasy. "God… you probably think my life is hell by now with all the things I've told you."

Trunks lowered his eyes. "You're right. You've probably told me more personal things about yourself, but that was because I thought you needed someone who'll listen. I don't want to hide anything from you, either." He pulled him into an embrace. "Don't worry, I can talk all about myself some other time. For now I just want to support you."

"Trunks…"

Lapis wrapped his arms around Trunks' shoulders and tilted his head for a kiss.

Unbeknownst to the new couple, they were being watched by someone parked from a distance.


End file.
